Christina River Institute

STS-112 Shuttle Mission (Melroy)

Hypertelescope (Labeyrie)

Laser Trapped Mirror (Labeyrie)

CHIPS Mission (Hurwitz)

ISEA 2002  (Malina)

Encoding Altruism (Malina)

Board of Jewish Education, 426 West 58th Street, New York, NY 10019, 212-245-8200

Temima Gezari is a sculptor, art educator, author and lecturer.

• Director of the Department of Art Education at the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York since 1940— dealing with art teachers in about 150 schools

• Her Credo is as follows: Education through art is education for peace.

The art medium provides children and adults with a universal language through which they can express ideas and feelings, which they find difficult to convey In words.

It releases profound creative impulses within them so that they can produce works of unlimited beauty and genius Through manipulation of basic materials they develop confidence, courage and otter leadership qualities.

• Attended Parson’s New York School of Fine and Applied Art 1924. Graduate of the Master Institute of United Arts- 1930.  Studied at the Art Students League, Columbia University, New School for Social Research and the Taos School of Art, New Mexico. Graduate of the Teachers’ Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Honorary degree, attended Hunter College. Columbia University, and the New School for Social Research.

• Taught in the Clinic for Gifted Children at NYU, 1938-1940. Has taught Art History and Art Education on university level at the Seminary college of the Jewish Theological Seminary from 1935 —1977. Has taught World Art History to seniors at Columbia University and Barnard.

• Traveled extensively through Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa and has lectured on art and education in practically every important city in the US and in Canada. She has also lectured in Israel, England, Melbourne Australia, Singapore, New Delhi, India, Sevres, France, Zagreb, Yugoslavia.

• Illustrated numerous books, among which are "Gateway to Jewish Song’, "Children of the Emek" "Hillel’s Happy Holidays", "Dovid’ll, etc. Co-author of "The Jewish Kindergarten", a book dealing with creative approaches to a child in the early years of his school life. Author of "Footprints and New Worlds" - (Experiences in art with child and adult) - Reconstructionist Press - 1957. Second edition in paperback - 1964 - JEC Press, Third edition - 1970, Fourth printing: 1980 "Footprints and New Worlds" chosen by Pacific Arts Association in 1958 as one of the best books in Art Education published in the U.S.

• Published by JEC, filmstrip "Growing Through Art" - 1955. Published a second filmstrip - "Art and the Growing Child" - 1956. This filmstrip received the Silver Reel Award from the Film Council of America in April 1957 and the Scholastic Award in 1957. Published Films for Education, New Haven, CT, Filmstrips published by the Sounds of Learning, Omaha, Nebraska, 1963 - "Miniature Stone Sculpture" and "The Art of the Israeli Children". Additional filmstrips, published by Bailey Films, Inc. Hollywood, California. Publishes "Brush and Color’, an art teachers’ bulletin under the auspices of the BJE. Published articles on art and education in such magazines as ‘Art in Childhood" "The Reconstructionist", "Jewish Education Magazine", "School Ads", "Arts and Activities "‘New York State Art Teachers Letters", "Parents Magazine", "Pioneer Woman", "Perception", etc.

• Established the Art Workshop for teachers to which they may come in an informal atmosphere to discuss the philosophy of art education and to study the various media in a search for creative approaches to teaching. Has founded the Teachers’ Committee on Art in Jewish Education.

• Established the Junior Gallery at the Jewish Museum — 1950-1963, Established the BJE Art Gallery. 1971 Has been arranging exhibitions of children’s work on a citywide level. These have been held annually since 1943 at such museums as the American Museum of Natural History the Museum of the City of New York, the Brooklyn Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Riverside Museum, the YU Museum in New York and at the BJE Building in New York. These exhibitions have been arranged for the purpose of giving children and adults an opportunity to show the ad that they have been doing throughout the year on a purely educational and aesthetic level.

• Arranged exhibitions of Art by Older Adults from 1978 to present. Appeared on numerous radio and television broadcasts for the purpose of teaching the importance of the art medium in the life and growth of children and adults. Worked freely with all faiths with the same fundamental purpose in mind. Has acted as art advisor to the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

• Lectured on her philosophy of art at Brooklyn College, Hunter College, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, New York University and the College of the City of New York, Teachers Training College, Singapore, Coventry College of Education. England.

• Art Chairman of the Riverside Neighborhood Assembly and arranged exhibitions of the artwork done in the public and private schools on the West side of Manhattan —1952-ST

• Member of Museum - Schools Committee for ten years. Member of the National Art Education Association and Eastern Art Association, the National Committee on Art Education of the Museum of Modern Ad, INSEA, the International Society for Education Through Art, The American Craft Council. Member of World Craft Council, Sculpture Center, NYC, Artists Equity, JSAE (Institute of Studies in Art Education), USSEA, NAEA has lectured for OSEA, NYSATA, NYCATA.

• Listed in "Who's Who in World Jewry", ‘‘Who’s Who in the East", "Who’s Who in American Education", "Who’s Who of American Women". International Biographical Dictionary - London, England. "Who’s Who of World Women".

• Painted throughout the United States, Europe and Israel. Has had one-man shows in New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Washington, DC, and Jerusalem. Has painted a mural for the SAT Synagogue 5 West 86th Street, in NY and for the Synagogue of Camp Cejwin, Port Jervis, NY and for the Children’s House on a collective farm in Israel.

 

Retrospective Sculpture Exhibition — Suffolk Museum - 1965

Stone Sculpture Exhibit — Loch Student Center of NYU - 1965

Four (4) exhibitions — Dime Savings Bank - 1966

Second Sculpture Exhibition — Suffolk Museum — 1966

Third Sculpture Exhibition — Terra Cottas — Suffolk Museum — 1966

Second Sculpture Exhibition — Terra Cottas — Loeb Student Center — NYU — 1968

Exhibition at NY Hilton - 1968

At the House of Living Judaism — 1968

At Chelsea National Bank — 1968

At Gallery North 1969

Argues Gallery Port Jefferson 1970

The Studio Workshop — Rocky Point — 1970

Totems Exhibit — Suffolk Museum — 1971

Directing Community Art Project on the Environment, at the Suffolk Museum summer 1971

Project Director — We are building the City of Jerusalem" - The Jewish Museum - 1972

Sculpture, "Behold the People!" — Suffolk Community College — 1972

Group exhibition participation at Union Carbide — 1973

Lover House, 1974

First Annual Sculpture Exhibit, 1975 and every year thereafter

Group show at Washington’s Museum for Women, 1991

Commissions: Bronze Judaic Totem — at Temple Israel, Lawrence LI

Bronze "Lament" at the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem

Terra Cotta — "At the Well", main library at the Tel Aviv Municipality

Bronze ‘Meditation" - Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek

Bronze Abstract "Sails" - medical building in Shirley, LI

Stone Sculpture "Mother with Infant" - Yemin Orde, Israel

Harvest Mural —20’ x 8’ at Children’s Village on Mt. Carmel, Israel

September 2, 2000— Dedication of her bronze sculpture

"The Peace Totem", in a park in Rocky Point, Suffolk County, NY

***

"I have a deep and abiding faith in the creative power of human beings. The creative process gives meaning to life. We are essentially creators and in fulfilling this function find purpose and direction in our daily existence."

"For the artist, no matter how intense the creative drive might be, the strict discipline of his craft must always be maintained — that is the understanding of the laws of space, color and form. There must also be evident the total dedication of the artist to the task he has set for himself from which, despite its constant and relentless demands, he would never wish to be free."

- Temima Gezari